Epoch
by xXPantheraXx
Summary: Sequel to Zodiac. Something is wrong with the Land. Natural Disasters are striking more often then ever, and animals are becoming extremely aggressive. As all hell breaks loose, the clans only hope of survival rest in the paws of five cats. ON HOLD!
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

**DOVESTAR-**

_fluffy gray she-cat_

DEPUTY

**CHARREDSOUL- **

_dark ginger tom_

MEDICINE CAT

**VIXENTAIL- **

_dark ginger spotted she-cat_

WARRRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

**ANTLEG- **

_light ginger tom with a black leg_

**PEPPERFOOT- **

_gray and white speckled she-cat_

**MOTHSPOTS- **

_spotted golden and black she-cat_

** KESTRELTAIL- **

_dark brown and white tom_

** BURNTPELT- **

_strong flame furred tom_

** APPRENTICE, HOLLYPAW**

**LEAFBREEZE- **

_light brown tabby she-cat_

**SCORCHCLOUD- **

_ginger dappled she-cat_

** COLDPOPPY- **

_white and tortoiseshell dappled she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, DEWPAW**

** LEOPARDFANG- **

_lithe golden she-cat_

** QUILLFUR- **

_spiky brown and black tom_

**CRIMSONRISE- **

_ginger and white she-cat_

**REDLION- **

_reddish-brown tom_

** ALDERFERN- **

_light brown she-cat_

** SNOWSPOTS- **

_pure white tom with blue eyes_

**APPRENTICE, NIGHTPAW**

** MOSSYPATH- **

_tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes_

**SANDBLAZE- **

_sand-furred tom_

**TIMBERCLAW- **

_dark brown spotted tom_

**BEAVERPELT- **

_light brown tom_

**STORMSHADOW- **

_light gray she-cat_

APPRENTICES

(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**HOLLYPAW-**

_light brown and black striped she-cat_

** DEWPAW- **

_gray spotted tom_

** NIGHTPAW- **

_black furred tom_

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**HEATHERSHINE- **

_pale brown she-cat with bright blue eyes,_

_mother of Snowspots kits; Cloudykit (gray and white she-cat)_

_and Sunnykit (light tawny furred she-cat)_

**FIERYSKY-**

_blazing ginger she-cat with green eyes, mother of_

_Charredsoul's kits; Kindlekit (strong golden tabby tom) _

_and Azurekit (dark gray she-cat with blue eyes)_

** SEDGEHEART- **

_long-furred white she-cat, expecting Sandblaze's_

_kits_

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens, now retired)

** IVYPOOL- **

_gray and white tabby she-cat_

** ICECLOUD- **

_white she-cat_

**STARLINGSONG- **

_light brown tabby she-cat_

** LIONBLAZE- **

_golden tabby tom with amber eyes_

* * *

TIGERCLAN

LEADER

**SCORCHSTAR- **

_dark gray tom_

DEPUTY

**ECLIPSEFALL- **

_strong black furred tom_

MEDICINE CAT

**FOXSHADOW**-

_small dark ginger tom_

**APPRENTICE, WEASELSTRIPE**

WARRIORS

**DUSKPETAL- **

_black and white she-cat_

**SILVERSMOKE- **

_silver furred she-cat with gray stripes_

** GRIZZLYFUR- **

_large brown tom with yellow eyes_

**SQUIRRELCLAW- **

_small ginger she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, BEAVERPAW**

**HUSKPELT- **

_tortoiseshell and white she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, FLINTPAW**

**LIZARDFANG- **

_long limbed black tom with yellow eyes_

**MOONWATER- **

_light silver she-cat with blue eyes_

**FROZENFOOT- **

_gray spotted tom with white feet and tail_

**APPRENTICE, DAPPLEDPAW**

** APPLELEAF- **

_ginger and white she-cat_

**HOLLYHERB- **

_black and silver striped she-cat_

**NIGHTWATER-**

_black tom with white paws and tail_

**APPRENTICE, REEDPAW**

** PONDRIPPLE- **

_gray she-cat_

**FOXFROST- **

_ginger tom with bright blue eyes_

**APPRENTICE, SALMONPAW**

** DARKSAND- **

_black she-cat with ginger feet_

** SMOKECLOUD- **

_lithe dark gray she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, CEDARPAW**

**UMBERSHADE- **

_pitch black tom with black eyes_

**APPRENTICE, IVYPAW**

** OTTERPOOL-**

_blue-gray she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, LEAFPAW**

**THUNDERSTRIPE- **

_gray and white striped she-cat_

**ADDERTOOTH- **

_black furred tom_

**BLACKPELT- **

_small black tom_

**SPIDERFANG- **

_lithe black furred tom_

**APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAW**

** PATCHFERN- **

_black and white spotted she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, COPPERPAW**

** TROUTLEAP- **

_small white tom with gray ears_

**WOLFCLAW- **

_dark gray tom with blue eyes_

**RAVENSONG- **

_black she-cat_

**SHINYGAZE- **

_pretty white dappled she-cat_

QUEENS

**REDBIRD- **

_ginger and tawny spotted she-cat, mother of Spiderfang's kits; Cragkit (small dark gray tom)_

_Beigekit (beige furred tom) and Tigerkit (dark brown tabby tom)_

**DAWNLIGHT- **

_dark gray she-cat, mother of Addertooth's kits;_

_Echokit (black and white she-cat) and Rootkit (brown spotted tom)_

**LIGHTHEART- **

_shiny furred golden she-cat, expecting Troutleap's_

_kits_

**GOLDENHEART- **

_pretty golden dappled she-cat, expecting_

_Eclipsefall's kits_

ELDERS

**GREENCLAW-**

_black tom with green eyes_

** REDWILLOW-**

_mottled brown and ginger tom_

**BERRYHEART-**

_light brown tabby she-cat_

** WHITELEOPARD- **

_white spotted she-cat with a black tail_

_and feet_

**FLAMETAIL- **

_small ginger tom_

* * *

WINDCLAN

LEADER

**SUNSTAR-**

_tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark_

_on her forehead_

**APPRENTICE, FURZEPAW**

DEPUTY

**CLOUDEDMOON- **

_gray and white dappled tom with bright_

_blue eyes_

MEDICINE CAT

**TAWNYWING**-

_light golden furred she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, MEADOWPAW**

WARRIORS

**RAVENPELT- **

_pitch black tom_

** YELLOWPOPPY- **

_dark brown she-cat with piercing yellow eyes_

**SWEETMALLOW-**

_gray furred she-cat_

** WASPFUR- **

_small black and white striped tom_

**APPRENTICE, OATPAW**

**CINDERBREEZE- **

_beautiful gray and white she-cat_

** TIGERDAWN- **

_ginger she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes_

** COTTONTAIL-**

_fluffy white she-cat with green eyes_

**APPRENTICE, BURNETPAW**

** NECTORPELT-**

_golden and brown striped tom with amber eyes_

**AUBURNCLAW- **

_dark brown tom_

** PINELEAF- **

_pretty tortoiseshell she-cat_

** HORIZONFUR- **

_large golden tom_

** BRANCHFOOT- **

_dark brown tom_

** SPRUCEFROST- **

_light brown she-cat with green eyes_

**APPRENTICE, STRIPEDPAW**

**JAYTALON- **

_pitch black tom_

**DIAMONDHEART-**

_beautiful white she-cat with shiny_

_blue eyes_

**MIDNIGHTCLAW- **

_large black and white tom_

QUEENS

**GOLDGRASS- **

_light golden she-cat, mother of Auburnclaw's kits;_

_Mousekit (dark brown tom) and Lakekit (light gray spotted she-cat)_

**LIONSUN- **

_golden and brown she-cat_

ELDERS

**DAISYPETAL- **

_pure white she-cat_

**RUSSETHEART-**

_light ginger tom_

** SEDGEWHISKER- **

_light brown tabby she-cat_

* * *

SKYCLAN

LEADER

**ROCKSTAR- **

_black tom_

DEPUTY

**FALCONFLIGHT- **

_light brown tabby tom_

MEDICINE CAT

**INDIGOCLOUD- **

_shiny black furred she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, CRANEPAW**

WARRIORS

**SAGECLAW- **

_dark gray tom_

** FIREFLY-**

_handsome ginger tom_

**APPRENTICE, TWIGPAW**

** CLIFFPELT-**

_strong golden tabby tom_

**APPRENTICE, ADDERPAW**

** FAWNSPOTS- **

_white spotted brown tabby she-cat_

** BREEZEHEART- **

_gray tom_

** SPOTTEDFERN- **

_tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes_

_and a white tail and paws_

**APPRENTICE, LILACPAW**

** FOXFANG- **

_large red-furred tom_

**APPRENTICE, LAVENDARPAW**

** CLAWEDPELT- **

_badly scarred black tom_

** NETTLESTRIPE-**

_striped brown and white tom_

** SEEDTAIL- **

_gray and white speckled she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, SUNSETPAW**

** FLINTFOOT- **

_white tom with dark gray paws_

** OWLSLASH- **

_huge dark brown tabby tom with amber_

_eyes_

**APPRENTICE, HAREPAW**

** ICYSTORM- **

_pretty white she-cat_

**APPRENTICE, SLOEPAW**

** KESTRELSONG- **

_copper and black furred she-cat_

QUEENS

**HONEYMIST- **

_light golden tabby she-cat, mother of Firefly's kits;_

_Lynxkit (black and brown spotted tom) and Tigerkit (small brown_

_tabby she-cat)_

** STONEPETAL- **

_mother of Clawedpelt's kits; Slatekit (spunky_

_dark gray tom) and Cricketkit (brown tabby tom with green eyes)_

ELDERS

**RATFANG-**

_very old dark brown tom_

** MINTFROST-**

_gray tabby she-cat_

** BOUNCESTEP- **

_brown tom_

* * *

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS

**PANDORA-**

_pitch black she-cat with green eyes, loner_

** TRIAD-**

_dark red furred tom, loner_

** MR. JINGLES-**

_plump long furred white tom, kittypet_

** CHLEO-**

_exotic golden furred she-cat_

** HARMONY-**

_dusty gray and white she-cat_

**ALEXANDER-**

ginger tom with green eyes


	2. Prologue: Pandora

**A/N: Ah well here it is folks! The long awaited sequel to Zodiac, I GIVE YOU EPOCH! Wow, I really need to tone it down don't I? Sorry I'm just kind of excited for you all to read this, I think this may just end up being my best story yet, and from the outline so far I can tell you its much better/longer/more actionier (thats not a word I know) **

**So here's the Prologue from a whole new POV, even though this cat won't have any more pov's in the story, she still is a very important character. Oh and I dropped a hint in the story as to who she might be related to, see if you can find it. :P Please everyone review if you can, I'm dying to know what you all think! I'll try to update tommorrow and I should update "Beauty is a Curse" Tonight as well. :)**

**~Leo~**

**

* * *

****PROLOGUE**

A slight tremble pulsated through the dried, cracked earth. A thin line broke through the surface, curving and winding until it hit the waters edge. That was the last of the tremble for now, the angry waves had swallowed it like a shark to a guppy.

A black she-cat stood atop a rocky pier, her coat as shiny as a crystal as she sat underneath the intense sunlight. The cat almost had to close her eyes the light was so bright, it had never been like this before.

"Something is wrong...." the words escaped her mouth slowly like a faint whisper.

The words had been building up inside her for quite a while, she just couldn't quite utter them until this moment. The large waves almost touched the rocky coast, even six-moons ago they were almost two tail-lengths behind.

The she-cat shook her head, "Something is definitely wrong with this land....those cats were right."

"Pandora!" a yowl broke her dark thoughts, as a red-furred tom bounded along the sands toward her.

He was a younger cat, although still older than Pandora herself. It took quite awhile for her mate to make it over to her, he was carrying a vole almost as big as himself.

"See?" he meowed happily, "I knew there was still prey left out there, and you said I wouldn't find anything more than a mouses skeleton!".

Pandora chuckled faintly, not wanting to wipe the joy from her mates face just yet. Triad was in a way just like a kit, unknowing to the dangers of the world around him, maybe even ignorant to them.

_But he has to, _she told herself sharply, _and so do the rest of the cats that live in these parts._ Her mind drifted back to stories her grandmother told of the clans, if she remembered correctly there were four of them.

_Even more of a reason to warn them now, _she didn't even want to think about how many innocent deaths there would be, most certainly some of them being mothers and their kittens.

"Are you alright?" Pandora lifted her gaze to see Triad staring at her worriedly, his gray eyes flickering with unease.

The black cat sighed solemnly, "No I'm not Triad" she told him honestly.

Now was a better time than ever to be honest with her mate, he needed to know what danger was just over the horizon, he deserved to know. But how could she tell him?

How could she tell the one cat she loved more than herself, that life as they knew it was coming to an end?

"You can tell me" he jumped up next to her, digging his muzzle into her warm ebony fur. Taking a deep breath, the lithe she-cat focused her jade colored gaze onto Triad.

"It's coming" she uttered the words quietly, "After all these moons of waiting and wondering, I know its finally coming."

The red tom turned his head to the side, "I don't get it? What's coming Pandora....does this have anything to do with those cats in the stars you talked to? Because if so I don't know if we can trust them....".

"The end of the world is coming!" she broke him off with the shocking remark, closing her eyes as he drew in a sharp breath.

Silence lay between the two cats for a short while, as Pandora lowered her gaze to stare at a dead fish floating on the oceans surface.

_That could be us soon, _she briefly wondered as Triad finally looked up at her.

"How do you know?" the tom asked seriously, "I mean...did those star cats tell you this?".

Pandora nodded, "They told me they had suspicions awhile back, but its not until the past moon that I actually started to believe it." She paused as yet another small tremor pulsated through the earth.

It rippled into the ocean and as soon as it began, the tremor had disappeared.

"Don't you feel it Triad? The tremors happen almost every hour now, and the sun! Don't you feel how hot its rays are? It's never been this hot since I was born!".

It almost pained her to be atop the rock, even at this moment her black fur was burning like a piece of tinder. But she had to, this was where she spoke to the cats of the stars so many moons ago.

This is where they told her what she knew all to well already.

"So what do we do?" Triad asked calmly, finally realizing that his mate was right and told the truth.

"We need to journey to the clans" Pandora meowed strongly, "They are our only hope of survival. And not only do we have to save them, they will save us."

Triad lifted his head and meowed, "Who will save us."

The black loner looked up into the pale sky as she faintly saw five stars behind the veil of golden sky.

"The Zodiacs..." she muttered the word with strength, "They are our and the worlds only hope of surviving this disaster."

She looked out onto the ocean, spotting twoleg dens and trees in the distance, "Without their help, every cat, twoleg and living being in this land is doomed. _Doomed to a death more painful then anyone or anything could imagine." _


	3. One: Lynxpaw & Slatepaw

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but this chapter took longer than I thought it would. Well I don't have much to say now, I'm making dinner, but as most of you noticed RiverClan and ShadowClan combined into one clan, TigerClan. Some of you may be confused about how this happens, but you should know more by Chapter 3. **

**Also you will find out about Ms. Meadowkit, she is in fact Sprucefrost's one and only kit. Oh and I think I gave Charredsoul about two kits as well, lets see if they'll have powers too.... *Snickers* I already know. Thank you for the so many reviews, please keep em' comin! :)**

**~Leo~**

**

* * *

****CHAPTER I**

"Lynxkit, from this day until you receive your Warrior name, you shall be known as Lynxpaw!". The clan of SkyClan cheered the apprentices new name, as the golden and black tom cowered in embarrassment.

He looked up into Rockstar's dark amber eyes, "I ask Starclan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws, the true courage and loyalty of a Warrior."

Lynxpaw took the words that Rockstar said seriously, one of these days he was going to be a warrior just like his father Firefly!

"Fawnspots" Rockstar called the brown and white she-cat out of the crowd, "You have mentored both Seedtail and Icystorm, and I ask that once again you pass on your many skills to young Lynxpaw."

The older she-cat bowed her head graciously, and happily strode over to the young tom. Lynxpaw noticed her staring at his swirling black spots, most of the clan couldn't help but stare.

_So what, _a voice inside hissed, _let them stare! You have nothing to be embarrassed about!_

He quickly touched noses with his mentor, and padded aside to stand by his sister Tigerpaw. He caught her amber gaze eyeing him hatefully, and her claws were flexing angrily in the dust.

"What?" he meowed quietly, Tigerpaw always had been a flame waiting to burst, she had quite a temper.

The dark tabby turned abruptly, "Why do you get the best mentor? I'm stuck with old mouse skeleton over there! I swear if the wind picked up anymore, he'd blow away!".

Lynxpaw turned to look at his sisters mentor, Sageclaw, who was in fact the oldest warrior in SkyClan. Now Tigerpaw was exaggerating a bit, but it did appear that the senior warrior lost some weight lately.

"Yeah but he has experience" he added, but Tigerpaw cut him off with a sharp snort.

"Experience won't help me when he drops dead because a breeze came our way" she flexed her claws, "He should just join Ratfang and the others in the elders den already."

Lynxpaw sighed, he tended do that a lot when he was around Tigerpaw, she had a way of making everyone around her tired or angry.

As the day slowly passed by, Fawnspots had told him that they would start his training tomorrow by showing him all of the territory. Lynxpaw was naturally excited, this was the beginning of his life as a warrior!

Maybe even someday far from now, he would earn the name Lynxstar! Laying down onto a warm piece of stone, the golden spotted tom basked in the sunlight for quite awhile.

That was until he noticed a shadow blocking the light, someone was standing right over him. He squinted in the sunlight to make out who the two cats were, but his eyes were still adjusting to the contrast in color.

"Well look what we have here Harepaw" a she-cat taunted him while circling, "It looks like we got a freak on our paws!".

Lynxpaw bared his fangs in a hiss, he knew all to well who that voice belonged to, his cousin Sloepaw. Ever since Lynxpaw was born she and her friend Harepaw had teased him constantly about his swirling spots.

Perhaps she just felt awkward around her cousin, and teasing him just made her feel better about herself.

"Excuse me Sloepaw" he meowed politely, "But I'd rather not listen to you tell me how much of a freak I am today, some of us actually have more important things to do."

He tried to push past the two cats, but instantly a black paw slammed him onto the hot stone.

"You think you're special don't you?" the black apprentice hissed into his ear, "Well I have news for you _freak, _you're nothing more than a runt that will never amount to anything. You'll always be known as a freak until the day you die."

Her words wreathed slowly into Lynxpaw's mind, could it be that what she was saying was true? He saw how all the cats looked at him ever since he was born, even his own father Firefly treated him differently than Tigerpaw.

"Sloepaw!" a yowl from above surprise all three apprentices, it was coming from a dark gray tom who stood on a cliffs edge.

"Now what did I tell you about picking on my friend Lynxpaw here? Didn't I say I would make you eat squirrel dung If you did it again?".

The black she-cat bent her ears, cowering away from Lynxpaw in fright, "Yes...yes you did."

Lynxpaw smiled as Slatepaw lifted his paw, a leaf filled with something lay on his pad.

"Well then I guess I'm pretty lucky then, it seems there's Squirrel dung all over the place!" Slatepaw smiled as he opened the leaf, and sent dung hurling at the two apprentices.

It splattered their pelts with the most rancid smell, as they both howled in fright and disgust, bounding down the cliffs faster than a jack rabbit.

"Yeah and don't come back!" Lynxpaw couldn't help but yell at them, as he looked up to Slatepaw.

"Thanks" he said that all to often to the gray tom, pretty much anytime those two messed with him.

"No problem" the large apprentice meowed as he leapt off the cliff, landing with precise balance directly next to his friend. Lynxpaw noticed sparks on the stone floor as Slatepaw dug his massive claws of stone into its surface, they were sharper than a Cougars fang.

_He's different but nobody makes fun of him, _Lynxpaw lowered his head in shame, _maybe I am a freak. _

"Hey" he looked up at Slatepaw who was staring at him suspiciously, "I know what you're thinking and just stop it now. Those two are the freaks Lynxpaw, you see you aren't the reason they're so mean. Sloepaw's just a mean old buzzard because she's constantly seeking her fathers approval, which she'll probably never get. And Harepaw's dumber than a minnow, thats just looking for a friend. It's just bad luck that friend turned out to be such a pathetic thing like Sloepaw."

Lynxpaw thought about what his friend said, it did make sense, Sloepaw was always trying to impress her father Foxfang.

Plus he had to admit Harepaw had been doomed from the start, ever since his mother dropped him on his head as a kit, he hadn't been quite right in the mind.

But then Lynxpaw remembered when was a kit and the first time Firefly came to visit him and Tigerpaw. His red-furred father had greeted Tigerpaw with love and affection, but he had hesitated once laying his eyes on Lynxpaw.

_If my own father thinks I'm a freak, _he thought darkly, _then thats what I most likely am. _

_

* * *

_

Shades of rose and indigo dappled the sky above Slatepaw's head, as the sun rose into the sky. Dawn was only just beginning to rise as he and his mentor Nettlestripe trekked through the lightening forest.

They had split from the rest of the patrol, something about smelling a peculiar scent on SkyClan territory. It was only Slatepaw's third day as an apprentice, but even now he could tell something was off.

The scent was nothing like he smelled before, although he was almost positively sure it was a cat.

"Should we split up?" he padded forward to walk alongside Nettlestripe, as the striped brown and white tom sniffed the air.

"Whoever it was definitely came this way" he meowed with frustration, "But I just can't seem to track it past this Rowan Tree."

The massive gray apprentice lifted his nose to sniff the air, he could smell a deer that had recently passed through here, as well as squirrels and mice.

_Come on, _he told himself, _you can do this. Just do what Clawedpelt taught you. _

His father Clawedpelt was perhaps once the most talented tracker in all of SkyClan, and Slatepaw did mean once. Many moons before he was even born, Slatepaw's father had defended the nursery from a Mountain Lion attack.

He had fought like a Mountain Lion himself, but even a large cat like Clawedpelt was no match for such a powerful creature. His father was slashed on both sides by the cats massive claws, as well as three long gashes across his face.

Slatepaw never knew his fathers real name, Clawedpelt always said it didn't matter what it was, that cat was gone. And ever since then his father had been a changed cat, he always looked at life as if it might be your last day in the world.

_"Just hone your senses" _Clawedpelt had told him one night as a kit, _"If your sense of smell is what you need, then cut off your sight. Close your eyes and focus on what your looking for, in time it will come."_

Slatepaw closed his eyes just as his father said, and relaxed his muscles. The scents of everything around him spiraled in all directions. From mouse to dear, there was a scent for everything.

_But there's something else, _he noticed a peculiar smell, kind of like fish and stone.

"Let's split up" Nettlestripe suggested, just as Slatepaw realized where the intruder was.

But he didn't have time to stop his mentor from going, or perhaps he wanted to catch this mangy cat by himself! Either way, Slatepaw was going to catch this cat on SkyClan territory, and he was going to make them pay!

Quickly tracking the scent down a rocky pathway outlined with ash trees, Slatepaw stopped as a small brook ran in front of him.

"You're no match for me" he chuckled, bunching his muscles and easily leaping a fox-length onto the other side.

That's when Slatepaw spotted it, it was the intruder! He hunched down into a patch of reeds, narrowing his eyes to gather information on the intruder.

Clawedpelt always said,_ "To truly beat an enemy, you'll need to see and know them first. And only then can you claim victory."_

Slatepaw could see from here that the cats pelt was a deep red shade, and that it was a tom. Even though this cat was much older and larger than Slatepaw himself, the tom knew he could take him, no one was a match for these claws!

For a moment he stood there, waiting to know something else about the intruder. Then finally Slatepaw grew tired of waiting, and un-sheathed his stone claws.

"Ow" he hissed loudly, immediately bolting down as the intruder lifted his head.

_Fox-dung, _Slatepaw swore, he should have remembered the claws sliced through his skin every time they came out. Once the tom had gone back to eating his mouse he caught, a SkyClan mouse, Slatepaw prepared to strike.

His large gray fur rippled above his huge muscles, and in one quick motion, the apprentice leaped through the air.

"Filthy piece of dung!" he swore through mid-flight, barely a fox-length away.

The tom looked him square in the eye, and then right before Slatepaw struck, ducked beneath him. He came crashing to the ground, just able to sink his claws into a tree trunk to avoid hurting himself.

The red-furred tom lifted himself and snorted, "Well look at those claws, they're quite peculiar" his gaze lowered unto Slatepaw's stone claws from which he removed from the tree.

"Some might even say the claws of a Zodiac" the words caught the SkyClan apprentice totally off guard.

Did the cat just say what he think he said?

"How...how do you know that" Slatepaw stammered, this cat just wasn't any ordinary loner, he was different.

"My name is Triad" the cat lifted his dark gray gaze seriously, "And I was sent here to guide you to the other four clans." Slatepaw's jaw completely dropped, this cat was going to take him to the forest clans? He would finally see the mighty ThunderClan!

"There are more Zodiacs then just the two of you in this world" his stare glinted with something Slatepaw couldn't quite detect, _"Far more." _


	4. Two: Sprucefrost & Meadowkit

**A/N: Well heres Chapter 2, sorry it took longer than I expected to write it. Can't say much right now, I'm about to eat dinner. But here's Sprucefrost and Meadowkit, ah I love Meadowkit, and I hope you all do to! Thanks for so many reviews last chapter, keep em' coming please! I'll try to update tomorrow, but we'll see how many reviews I get...hehe. **

**:)**

**~Leo~**

**

* * *

****CHAPTER II**

Heat radiated from the sky with an intense power. The ground beneath Sprucefrost's rough pads was scorching hot to the touch, certainly hotter than it had ever been before.

Her slightly curved green eyes drifted back to a small fluffy body traveling a fox-length behind her. It was a kit, with a pelt as gray as a goose, and with eyes even brighter than Sprucefrost's.

"Meadowkit do you want me to carry you?" she asked delicately to her tiny daughter, who was lifting each paw as she walked towards her mother.

The kit looked up, "No I'm okay, I can do it by myself."

Sprucefrost felt a pang of remorse at her daughters comment, she was growing up fast. Faster than she both expected and wanted. It had been five-moons since she kitted in WindClan camp, and six-moons since the deadly battle of the Zodiacs.

When she was younger, Sprucefrost thought the Zodiacs were put on this land to help the clans and to bring serenity to the forest. But she was dead wrong.

The only thing they brought was death and destruction, the battle almost killed Sprucefrost._ And Meadowkit, _she added silently as her tiny gray daughter began to walk normally across the earth.

In fact the earth didn't even seem as dry and barren as before, it was now cooler and beginning to sprout grass. Meadowkit did always have a way of healing the land, once when she was younger Sprucefrost's daughter was playing with a cricket.

One of the warriors accidentally stepped on it, and Meadowkit had been whimpering the whole night. But then the next morning when she tried to play with it, the Cricket burst to life and hopped off.

"She has a power..." Sprucefrost muttered under her breath, which was what she feared since the very moment she became pregnant. The Zodiacs powers brought destruction and death, this was the last thing they needed, another cat with powers.

"Sprucefrost!" the brown she-cat looked up from her daydreaming, to see Meadowkit staring at her peculiarly.

"What my little honeysuckle?" she tried to sound joyful.

Instead of answering, Meadowkit simply extended a tiny fluffy paw forward.

"Look at the lake" she mewed loudly, "Somethings wrong with it, I think its angry!".

Lifting her very confused gaze, Sprucefrost's eyes widened in distress as the sight before her truly set in. The once calm, quiet lake was now crashing all around, sending drops flying at the two cats.

"I've never seen it like this before" Sprucefrost moved forward to stand on a mound.

Meadowkit climbed up behind her mother, her tiny paws struggling to catch in the earth. The two stood there for a short moment, staring in a mixture of shock and awe at the might waters crashing onto the shore.

"Maybe its sick" Meadowkit suggested, turning her head to the side. "I could try helping it like I did with that cricket, do you think that would work?" she lifted her small fluffy head to look Sprucefrost in the eye.

"No!" the WindClan cat turned with anger in her gaze, "First of all you never go near the lake or water without my permission, second its not safe to use your gift Meadowkit. I've told you this before, it will only bring bad things to us."

Memories of Bluecloud's dead body came rushing back to her like a mud slide, her charred body burnt of the blue-gray fur that once sparkled in the moonlight.

_That all happened because she had a power, _Sprucefrost un-sheathed her claws instinctively, _I won't let the same happen to Meadowkit. Not my daughter. _

Suddenly realizing she scolded her daughter for all the wrong reasons, Sprucefrost bent down to apologize. But instead she was met with a very disgruntled look from the gray kitten.

"I'm not you" she mewed strongly, "If I have something that will help the forest, then I'm going to use it. And I don't care if you let me or not".

And that was the last of the conversation, as Meadowkit lifted her head independently and began walking back towards WindClan camp. Sprucefrost sighed,

"She's definitely Cloudedmoon's daughter alright."

The kits father had been appointed deputy the following moon immediately after Thistlestar died of Green-Cough. Sunstrike had been made Sunstar only days later, and she had chosen him as her deputy.

"Wait for me" she called after the small kit, who had already climbed over a mound larger than herself. Just then a scent drifted through, a fishy scent, mixed in with the scents of the lake and river.

"RiverClan" Sprucefrost curled her lip, where was Meadowkit?!

But the queen had little reason to worry, just as she spotted a RiverClan patrol scouting alongside the lake.

"Sprucefrost!" Meadowkit came bounding down to her mother as the cats approached, a curious look in her green eyes.

"Stay behind me" she ordered her daughter, "This may be trouble."

The clan of the water approached slowly but calmly, the leader Silverstar in the lead. Sprucefrost noticed Otterpool amongst the large group of cats, it appeared as if the whole clan was here.

"What are you doing on WindClan territory" she called out, trying to sound strong and intimidating in case they planned on attacking.

Silverstar stepped forward slowly, "We don't mean you any harm" her voice held truth in it, "We'd like to speak to Sunstar if that's alright."

Sprucefrost exchanged a glance with the strong RiverClan leader, "She's back at camp, I can get her if you'd just wait here."

"No need" a voice sounded behind the two WindClan cats, as the tortoiseshell leader of WindClan stepped forward. "Why are you on my land Silverstar?" the eldest leader of the clans demanded sharply, "Have you forgotten the boundaries we set up?".

Silverstar lowered her head submissively, "No I have not, but that is the reason I've come to you today" she exchanged a glance with the rest of her clan.

"Well..." Sunstar hissed impatiently, "I'm waiting."

After a moment of waiting, Silverstar lifted her head to speak to the leader of the moor.

"Two nights ago our clan was attacked by a group of foxes" she began sadly, "We've tried to fight them off since then, but they refused to leave our camp."

The WindClan queen noticed Sunstar nodding without any sign of emotion on her face, "I'm sorry for that, but I don't know what you expect WindClan to do for you. Surely you don't think I'll be giving you any of our territory."

The RiverClan leader lowered her head glumly, "Please Sunstar, we have kits and queens that need food. We have nowhere else to go."

"No!" the tortoiseshell leader cut her off mid-sentence, "RiverClan didn't even lift a paw to help my clan when we needed it. And I'm certainly not going to lift one now."

The anger in her amber eyes burning like a raging inferno, Sprucefrost was even a bit frightened by her leader at this moment.

"I suggest you try ShadowClan next" the leader growled, "And if I catch you on my territory again Silverstar, I won't hesitate to attack."

Without even pausing, Sunstar began to walk away back towards her camp, flicking her tail for Sprucefrost and Meadowkit to follow.

"I've told you not to take her out of camp" the leader, Sprucefrost's grandmother growled. "Kit's belong in the safety of the clan, You need to realize that."

The she-cat didn't hesitate to pick Meadowkit up by her scruff, before walking back to camp without Sprucefrost.

"I'm sorry" she meowed quietly, but not to Sunstar.

No, that wasn't who she was apologizing to, it was Otterpool. The gray she-cat was looking at her previous best friend as RiverClan turned away, hurt in her bright blue eyes.

After seeing the hurt and pain in her fellow Zodiac, Sprucefrost could only wonder one thing.

_Why were the ones to survive the battle? We're only going to suffer from the aftermath...  
_

_

* * *

_

A warm evening breeze drifted through the nursery walls, as Meadowkit lay in a patch of moss. Her soft pelt finally felt cool as the sun began to set beneath the horizon, she couldn't stand this heat much longer.

_That's not the only thing I can't stand. _Meadowkit eyed her mother angrily from the opposite side of the nursery, she had no right to tell Meadowkit what to do!

_Why won't she let me use this gift? Whatever it is... _

It boggled the kits mind, she could save lives if she wanted to. But Sprucefrost just wanted to keep her locked up as a kit her whole life, she didn't want Meadowkit to grow up.

"Oh no!" a squeak made the kit prick her ears, as whimpering soon sounded from outside the nursery.

Noticing Goldgrass, Lionsun and Sprucefrost were all asleep, she ventured outside to see what happened. There, Weaselkit and Stripedkit sat in front of a dead dove, a hurt expression in their tiny eyes.

The kits were only four-moons old, and the sons of Lionsun and the deceased Ferretleap. Meadowkit had never met the kits father, he had died before even she was born, in the battle of the Zodiacs.

"What happened?" she asked Weaselkit who was beginning to wail loudly over the dove.

"Stripedkit killed it!" he spat at his smaller brother, who was poking at the bird curiously.

"Hey" the striped brown and white tom turned on his siblings, "It wasn't my fault, I thought it was dead! Who was I to know I'm strong enough to kill it? I guess I don't know my own strength".

Weaslekit glared with his yellow eyes, "Murderer!" he hissed angrily.

Meadowkit sighed as she stepped towards the pure white dove, "Calm down, fighting over it isn't going to help anything. Its dead."

Stripedkit rolled his eyes, "Well we know that already, why don't we eat it or bring it to Sunstar as a present?".

A gasp of horror came from Weaslekit, "Are you heartless, you have no soul!".

The two brothers soon began to argue for a long while, until Meadowkit bent down to examine the dove. Images of the cricket bouncing back to life soon came to her, she did all that just with a touch of her paw.

_Sprucefrost isn't watching, _she reminded herself, _and it would stop Weaselkit and Stripedkit from fighting. _

"Here goes nothing" she outstretched her right paw, slowly pressing it onto the doves pure white feathers. They were as soft as a cloud, but still nothing happened when her dark gray pad made contact with the birds body.

"What are you doing?" Stripedkit padded forward to look at the dove, just as a bright white light began to illuminate the small hollow they were in.

The light blinded all three kits for a short moment, and then all at once it died away, fading back into the twilight that surrounded WindClan camp.

"Holy StarClan" Stripedkit gasped in awe as the flapping of wings sounded directly in front of them, and the dove flew into the indigo sky.

"You healed it!" Weaselkit cheered, rushing into Meadowkit and nuzzling her in thanks.

She easily batted the tom off of her, and felt a feeling of joy as she watched the dove fly away into the sky.

_See, my power can save lives. _Sprucefrost didn't know what she was talking about, and she certainly had no impact on Meadowkit. But something did impact the kit, why did she have a power?

Could it be that Meadowkit was a Zodiac just like her mother?

"If so" she spoke quiet enough for the other kits to not hear her, "Then I'm going to be a better Zodiac than her,_ I'm going to use this power to help my clan." _


End file.
